Notes and Editorial Reviews

Andrzej Panufnik's music seems not to be garnering much continued attention in the decade and a half since his death in 1991. He was a very accomplished composer, and much of what he wrote is well worth a listen, even the tough stuff. There is certainly no tough stuff here! All of these works are based on the music of centuries past (including folk music) and they are extremely enjoyable as well as immaculately crafted. The Old Polish Suite and Jagiellonian Triptych bring to mind such pieces as Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances (and sounds quite similar in places), while the Concerto in Modo Antico takes the Baroque concerto grosso concept and applies it to a very modern ensemble of trumpet, two harps, harpsichord, and strings.

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The Divertmento pays homage to the music of the 18th century (Stravinsky's Pulcinella comes to mind this time), while the Hommage à Chopin, for flute and strings, calls on folk music from the region of Chopin's birth: a happy inspiration and quite different from yet another orchestration of some of the more famous piano pieces.

The performances here are uniformly fine, with Mariusz Smolij getting lively and affectionate playing from the Polish Chamber Orchestra, and Igor Cechoco proving a sensitive trumpet soloist in the concerto. Naxos' sonics flatter the largely string-based sonority of these works. Even if you've never heard of Panufnik and generally shy away from the 20th-century avant-garde, do not shy away from this really attractive and lovable disc.

Customer Reviews

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